During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Because my companion was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had arranged a two-week stay there en route to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a large 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I shared that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – close to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student walked over to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or self-belief to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Additionally, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Critically, that gig at Columbia resulted in a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Kindest Gesture a Stranger Has Shown for You?
From cheering you up to changing your life, we are interested in random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
We invite you to tell us if you are an adult, keeping your details private if you wish. Your responses are protected, and are intended for the aim of this article.
